Vietnam earned 1.56 billion USD from shrimp exports in the first half of this year, up 15.7 percent annually, according to the Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Processors (VASEP).

Of the figure, white leg shrimp export earnings were estimated at nearly 955 million USD, up 20.4 percent while tiger prawn export revenue hit 421 million USD, down 5.3 percent.

The growth of shrimp exports pushed total value of fisheries shipments to 3.6 billion USD in the six months, a 14.6 percent increase.

According to exporters, Japan has replaced the US as the leading importer of Vietnamese shrimp thanks to high demand and improved quality. Other major markets include the US, the European Union and the Republic of Korea.

Shrimp export is forecast to keep growing in the second half of the year, especially during Christmas and New Year holidays.